Mín Englisc Blog

Today's service was quite different from what I'm used to: Dad always preaches long enough that the service is at least half again as at Eastvale, while I never had the chance to be the precentor while at school. I guess my body will have to get accustomed to the longer sermons, for I fell asleep during the early service. Conversely, I don't need to become accustomed to leading; because our normal two precentors weren't feeling up to it, I led the singing for both services, and had a rather good time despite not having any pitching device.

I'm back. The past three weeks have been really busy: first Senior Week, during which I had Internet connexion problems that kept me from posting during my few non-busy moments, then graduation, and since then relaxing/being busy at home. Since getting home, I've been able to travel somewhat by several means: flying to Millersburg and Coshocton in eastern Ohio with Isaac (and I'd never been to Coshocton before), riding with Dad to Mechanicsburg, south of here (again, never been there before), and cycling all over parts of five counties to new places. I've even been able to visit two Indian mounds just a few miles from here; I never before knew that there were any mounds near here.
For the past year, I've enjoyed visiting sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Last summer, I was able to see many sites in Pittsburgh, and during the past semester I saw sixteen of Beaver County's twenty sites (plus twenty-two in eastern Ohio), and since returning home I've been able to get to forty different ones, including most of the ones in my home county. Over thirty of them I'd never before visited, so it's been enjoyable getting to know about some more local history. A pity that there's not more of it, but...at least there's more here than I knew about before.

I'm done with college. It doesn't seem real that this four-year-long reality of Geneva schoolwork is over, now that I finished my last final this morning. At dusk the shadows are the longest, and as I stand looking back from the sunset land, the shadows of what I have left are more and more important to me.

I left Filberts' tonight in tears: not because anything unpleasant had happened, but because it was a typically enjoyable time, and because it was the last. For four autumns and four springs I have looked toward Tuesday at 8 PM as one of the best parts of the week. Their hospitality has truly been a great blessing to me and to many of my friends — a calm environment to which we can retreat for a couple of hours and relax among those with whom we agree in virtually everything. Another part of the sunset has passed.
Yesterday was my final college class. Today was my final time working at the Brig; it will close in fifteen minutes for the last time before my graduation. I was so thankful that a friend of mine asked me if I could fill in for her shift tonight: I've loved working with the full-time Brig workers, and I'm glad that we've enjoyed times enough that they enjoy having me work.
Today, as I went through the day, I've been remembering frequently that it's days like today that I'll remember the rest of my life, and likely yearn to experience once more. For fifty years, or sixty if there is strength, I will have toil and woe, and of these four years all has quickly ended — how soon we seniors go! — but I will in God's salvation joy and set up my banner, and I remember will the name of my Lord God alone.